Eat Drink Man Woman

Ang Lee, Taiwan 1994, 123 minutes

Mr, Chu is Taipei's most renowned and exquisite cook. His skills have earned him wealth, prestige and a beautiful white house where he lives with his three daughters. Every Sunday he cooks for them a lavish feast, a ritual which, rather than bringing them all together, makes them feel estranged. Every elaborately prepared dish on the table, a token of Mr. Chu's love for his daughters only seems to them like another barrier between him and them. When everyone eats well, communication is bad, real feelings are not expressed and so the family nucleus crumbles.

Jen, the eldest, a Chemistry teacher and devout Catholic is slowly turning into an old maid. Kien, a high flying executive in a big aircraft company, is in permanent conflict with her father, and Ning, the youngest, works in a fast food restaurant. As for Mr. Chu, the sensitive and well-meaning introvert, he is gradually losing his most precious gift - his sense of taste. In steam filled kitchens and at sumptuous dining tables, this family drama develops.

All lovers of Oriental cuisine are warned, if they miss this film, they will be missing one of the most mouth-watering visual feasts ever filmed. Ang Lee has put all his considerable talent into the opening scene; Mr. Chu cuts up a large fish, smokes chickens and shapes, slices and fries all sorts of meat, vegetables and pastries with the minute and precise gestures of a true master of his art. Lee's superb film is never better than in this scene, his attention to detail leaving us gawping in admiration and wonder (not to mention hunger, I strongly advise you to eat a good meal before seeing this film). A moving, evocative and opulent treat for all the senses.

"The performances, the writing, and, above all, the food make this a treat ****" - Empire

Review by Katia Saint-Peron
Taken from EUFS Programme 1996-97